Whitaker once publicly suggested that the attorney general could cut funding in order to stifle Mueller's investigation, but Bloomberg reported Sunday that Whitaker has told associates in recent days that he has no plans to slash Mueller's budget.

"We request that you immediately notify us in writing regarding whether you, or any other ethics officials at the Justice Department, have advised Mr. Whitaker to recuse from supervision of the Special Counsel investigation, and the basis for that recommendation," they wrote to the DOJ's ethics watchdog.